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Little Bugs, Big
Bugs, lots of bugs are the next big thing! I am not talking about spiders, ants
or even bed bugs – though the later has certainly been in the news and
according to experts are more likely than not to be around for a long time in
the future. Viral flu or cold bugs are NOT the topic either…. But I promise
there are millions upon millions of the culprits in the body and some experts
say trillions. In fact, there are 100 times more of these bugs in the body than
all the TOTAL number of cells in the human body. Other animals such as dogs,
cats, horses and cows have them too.

There are no
exceptions – all animals are loaded with bugs! Millions of species and millions
of bugs occupy all animal bodies. Some are good, some are bad. The good news is
that IF you and your animal friends have more of the good bugs chances are you
and your animals are healthy. On the flip side, if you have more bad bugs than
good bugs more than likely you are sick and going downhill fast. The good guys
and the bad guys do have, however, one big thing in common. …they are all
bacteria – tiny microbial bugs that cause BIG THINGS! Sometimes good things,
sometimes bad things!

Up until recent
years many doctors and even experts in the field thought all bacteria were bad.
Antibiotics, of which the word which essentially means against life, kill both
good bugs AND bad bugs.Overuse of antibiotics
have created “super bad bugs” by a process called resistance. The same thing is
happening with dewormers. Indiscriminate use and deworming by the calendar
instead of deworming strictly based on need has created super worms that even
harsh chemicals no longer kill.I have
been on my soap box for nearly twenty years preaching the hazards of calendar
rotationaldeworming and the need for
fecal exams instead. I have been preaching that a healthy immune system through
healthy nutrition is superior over use of drugs and medication too. Now as each
day passes, health care professionals around the world are learning that the
makeup of the massive bacterial populations of all animal bodies, and even
possibly some worms in the gut may very well be the PRIMARY FACTORS in our
health status. Antibiotics and indiscriminate use of dewormers is on the way
out! Probiotics are in!

Coexistence with
bugs and worms start at birth or at least shortly thereafter. Studies have
shown that naturally born babies are healthier than those delivered by
C-section. It is believed that this is likely due to exposure of the baby to
bacteria in birth canal during delivery. Babies that get mothers milk are
healthier too, though this is hardly news to those that raise animals. Newborn
animal babies that don’t get the first milk called colostrum almost always die
despite heroic efforts to save. Of course colostrum delivers immunity but could
it also deliver good bugs? Especially important to me as a veterinarian is that
studies have shown that children of families with dogs are healthier than those
without dogs – Maybe dog kisses too aren’t that bad after all! Of course, we
all already knew that, right?

Would you believe
that gut bacteria may be linked to obesity? Washington University has done a
study that shows good bacteria improve weight and metabolism – at least in
mice. Two doctors from the Netherlands say that further research may find ways
to use intestinal microbes (bacteria etc.) to diagnose and even treat Type 2
diabetes. Another study from the Netherlands has shown that taking fecal
material from a healthy person and transplanting it into a person infected with
Clostridium difficile, a bacteria causing colitis and diarrhea, was 94%
successful in helping reduce symptoms of the disease. Yuk! BUT….Clostridium
difficile infects millions of people – this could be big! Big Companies too,
are already on the move…. Nestles Gerber now has an infant formula containing
bifidobacterium bacteria that supports the immune system of infants. A leading
biologist from North Carolina State University, my undergraduate alma mater by
the way, has written a whole book, best selling book I might add, on the
subject called “The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites and Partners
That Shape Who We Are”. He sees a link in the overuse of antibiotics and
antibacterial wipes with an increase in autism, arthritis, multiple sclerosis,
lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and more. Now that’s scarey! One study that I
read, showed that even ONE DOSE of an antibiotic can change our entire gut
bacteria population (called flora) forever!!

So what are the
alternatives for good health? Overall, man still does not know everything and
never will….so personally, I rely on naturally sourced foods, minerals and
ingredients as much as possible. I take what man does know, formulate the best
I can from it and then fill in the gaps with natural. Certainly good nutrition
is upmost! No doubt, the less we and our animals get our food from bags or
boxes the healthier we will be.

Many, myself
included, have also been using and suggesting probiotics for years. BUT…Can you
believe that up until just a few years ago the “powers to be” wouldn’t even let
us use the word probiotics– we were
required to use the exact words… “direct fed microbials”! Sort of confusing
huh? Just to be clear, PRO means…. related to or pertaining to “good”. BIOTIC
means ….pertaining to “life”. I am sure you agree that a “good life” is better
than a bad life or against life (antibiotic) - be it for animal or man! So
before you take your antibiotic or medicine or give any antibiotic or medicine
to your animals, think about the bugs. Is the medicine truly helping or
hurting? Is it really needed or would a good probiotic formula help even more?
Regardless, feed the good little bugs with probiotics. They just may be and
science is proving that LITTLE BUGS ARE THE NEXT BIG THING!

By the way, our Bug
Check daily supplement for pets and horses is loaded with probiotics thus
making it more “multi-purpose” and beneficial by working even more from the
“inside out”. It’s easy to forget that the skin is the largest organ of the
body and often it is with the skin and coat where results are noticeable when
products are beneficial. Of course, Bug Check is even more than probiotics too.
Enjoy! Reference websites: